Survival of Dictyocaulus viviparus infection on pasture.

Congenital and probable developmental vestibular disease is reported in a litter of English cocker spaniel puppies. The syndrome was marked by loss of balance and ataxia initially, but subsequent compensation has left only one individual with "permanent" head tilt.     

The efficacy of moxidectin against Dictyocaulus viviparus in cattle.

The efficacy of an injectable and a pour-on formulation of moxidectin against Dictyocaulus viviparus in cattle was examined. The results show that both formulations have an efficacy of 100% against adult worms and developing and inhibited larval stages of D. viviparus.     

Dictyocaulus viviparus and Elaphostrongylus cervi in wapiti

Extract

Sir, — We wish to record the identification of the nematodes Dictyocaulus viviparus (Bloch, 1782) Railliet and Henry, 1907; and Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931, from the wapiti (Cervus canadensis).     

Dictyocaulus viviparus infestation in reindeer in northern Norway. A contribution to its epidemiology.

Lungworms are not often observed in reindeer in Scandinavia. The present report shows that Dictyocaulus viviparus infestation is probably endemic in reindeer in northern Norway. Serious outbreaks occur in reindeer calves, also in combination with Pasteurella multocida infections.     

Cell adherence to larvae of Dictyocaulus viviparus in vitro

Bovine eosinophils survived for up to 48 hours in vitro in a medium of undiluted bovine serum and became adherent to the surface of Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae earlier than other cells found in peripheral blood. Cell adherence was associated with a heat labile factor in normal bovine serum and a heat stable factor in hyperimmune serum. A factor associated with leucocytes in vitro appeared to cause larval immobility. Cells from calves treated with levamisole behaved identically to those from other sources. It is suggested that eosinophils are an important element in host defence against D viviparus infection.     

Efficacy of fenbendazole against adult Dictyocaulus viviparus in experimentally infected calves.

Fenbendazole, methyl-5(phenylthio)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate, a new broad-spectrum anthelmintic, was evaluated against the adult Dictyocaulus viviparus, lungworm of cattle, in artificially infected calves. At a dosage of 5 mg/kg of body weight, fenbendazole removed 100% of the worms if given as an oral suspension, and 99.7% of the worms if given as a feed additive.     

Treatment of inhibited Dictyocaulus viviparus in cattle with ivermectin

Fifteen calves, each infected with approximately 3000 third stage larvae, were used to compare the tendencies of two strains of Dictyocaulus viviparus to inhibit at the fifth larval stage and to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin. There were notable differences between the strains. While greater than 99% of worms developing from infection with an Alpine strain remained inhibited 42 days after infection, only 0-26% of those recovered following infection with a U.K. laboratory strain were arrested. Neither adult nor immature D. viviparus were present in the lungs of animals treated with ivermectin subcutaneously at 200 micrograms/kg body weight 28 days after infection with the Alpine larvae.     

Dictyocaulus viviparus in Denmark. A survey of 15 years' diagnostic examination of faeces samples (author's transl)]

On the basis of routine diagnostic examinations of 12424 bovine faeces samples for larvae of Dictyocaulus viviparus, performed during the period 1963 through 1977, some calculations and reflections have been made on the incidence and epidemiology of lungworm infection in cattle in Denmark. It seems justified to conclude that dictyocaulosis is an important disease in heifers and cows as well as in calves. A distinct seasonal variation in the incidence of lungworm infection is apparent, in that more than 85% of the faeces samples were submitted within the period July through October. Lungworm larvae could be demonstrated in faeces samples from cattle during the winter and spring- This is considered to be of great importance with a view to re-establishment of the infection in the following grazing season. Overwintering of larvae on pastures seems possible. too, since patent infections among calves were demonstrated already in May and June. A comparison of meteorological data with totals of samples submitted and with relative numbers of positive samples seems to confirm, that both the level and the spread of lungworm infections are influenced by the amount of rainfall during the period June through August.     

Anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole against adult Dictyocaulus viviparus in experimentally infected calves.

Anthelmintic activity of albendazole against adult Dictyocaulus viviparus was evaluated in a controlled experiment. Calves were raised nematode-free to approximately 8 weeks of age and were each given 4,000 infective 3rd-stage larvae. Twenty calves with patent parasitisms were allotted to 2 groups of 10 calves each. Calves in group 1 were used as nonmedicated controls, and calves in group 2 were given albendazole in paste formulation at the dosage concentration of 7.5 mg/kg of body weight on the 30th day after administration of infective larvae. At necropsy, nonmedicated control calves had a total of 308 adult D viviparus, whereas the albendazole-treated calves had 11, for an average efficacy of 96.4%. These reductions were statistically highly significant (P less than 0.01). At necropsy, none of the treated calves was passing 1st-stage C viviparus larvae in their feces, whereas control calves were passing an average of 46 larvae/10 g of feces.